jones



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. W. JONES.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 245,506. I I Patented Aug. 9,1881.

WWJM/ Wmf'af gw/wzwm ma. *7

fi @M ulwflmy (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.'

F. W. JONES.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 245,506. Patented Aug. 9,1881.

(N0 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. v

F. W. JONES.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 245,506. Patented Aug. 9,1881.

%afiud4w/ I gwdawm w 4% gf wa NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK \V. JONES, OF SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOP, BY DIRECTAND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE EXOELSIOR LIFE SAVING CAR COUPLINGCOMPANY, OF NEW,YORK, N. Y.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,506, dated August9, 1881.

Application filed June 29, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom tt may concern Be it known that I, FREDERIOKW J oNEs, ofSpartanburg, in the county of Spartanburg and in the State of SouthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Gouplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this specifilo cation, in which Figure lis aperspective view ofmy improved device, the several parts being separatedfrom each other. Fig. 2 is a like view of the same combined, but withthe sections of the drawhead slightly separated. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of said device with the sections of said draw-head in their normalposition; and Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section of saiddraw-head, the full lines showing the normal position of parts, and thedotted lines their positions when the link is about to be engaged by thecoupling-pin.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

My invention is an improvement upon acarcouplinginventedbyWilliamR.Jones,in which the draw-head is dividedlongitudinally, and is separable whenever a sufficient lateral strain isthrown upon the link, and has for its object security against theseparation of the drawhead by the direct draftupon thelink to which endsaid invention consists in a draw-head divided longitudinally into twosections, which are separable by lateral pressure upon thecoupling-link, and provided with solid bearings in front of thecoupling-pin,substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

While my improvement is equally applicable to draw-heads having any formof coupling-pin, its operation and advantages will be sufficientlyillustrated in connection with one form of pin.

In the annexed drawings, A represents a draw-head of usual exteriorf0rm,whichis provided with an interior recess, a, that is rectangular incross-section, and at its outer end has the ordinary bell-mouth shape,and from thence to its rear end has its upper and lower sides formedupon converging lines, so as to give to said recess a V shape in sideelevation.

Passing vertically through the draw-head A is a central longitudinalslot, at, which, within the upper half of the same, extends from therear end of the recess a -nearly to the front end of said head, whilewithin the lower half of the latter said slot has about one'half thelength of the said upper portion, and from its rear end, at the bottomof said head, extends rearward and upward, preferably upon a curvedline, as shown.

Upon the upper side of the head A, at and immediately in rear of thefront end of the slot c,'is a boss, a within which is formed asemispherical recess, a that at its rear and lower sides opens into saidslot.

Fitted loosely within the slot ais a coupling plate or pin, B, which inside elevation has the general form of one-fourth of a circle, and atthe axial center of the sameis provided with aspherical head, I), thatcorresponds to and fits within the recess a and furnishes a pivotalbearin g for and upon which said coupling-pin swings. The normalposition of the couplingpin B is with its front edge vertical and inengagement with the front end of the slot, from which position said pinmay be turned rearward and upward, so as to enable a link, G,to bepassed to position within the draw-head A, after which said pin willdrop downward again to its normal position. The movements of thecoupling-pin are automatically effected by simply passing the link intothe draw-head in the usualmanner; butin order to release saidlink it isnecessary to raise said coupling-pin ver tically until its lower end isfree from engagement with the same, after which said link may bewithdrawn. When locked in place within the draw-head the rear end of thecoupling link 0 is engaged by the curved portion of the pin B, and atsuch point ofcontact said pin is 0 provided with a slight recess, 1).

In order that a car jumping the track may be disconnected from the carsin front and rear, so as to prevent the same from being dragged 0% saidtrack, the head A is formed in two sections, which are united upon avertical central longitudinal line, and are held together by means of aU-shaped spring, D, the ends of which are connected to or with saiddrawhead in substantiallythe manner shown. The inward pressure of thespring I) is sufficient to hold together the sections of the head Aunder ordinary circumstances; but should a car leave the track the sidepressure produced by such movement will cause the draw-heads to beopened by the links 0, so as to release the coupling-pins B and leavethe cars in front and rear to maintain their positions upon the track.The tendency of the draft upon the coupling-pin'will be to spread thedraw-head so as to release said pin, when the line of division of saidhead is exactly at the transverse center of the longitudinal slot a, toprevent which difficulty said line of division is central until itreaches the front end of said slot, and from thence to the front end ofsaid draw-head is upon a line with one side of said slot at the top, andupon a line with the opposite side of the same at the bottom of saidhead.

By this construction the upper end of the coupling-pin B is supported atits front by a solid hearing, which is attached to and forms part of onesection of the head A, while the lower end of said pin has a solid frontbearing that forms part of the opposite section of said head, the resultbeing that draft upon said pin, instead of operating to separate thesections of said coupling-head, has the effect to hold the sametogether.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, whatI claim as new 1s- A draw-head divided longitudinally into two sections,which are separable by lateral pressure upon the coupling-link, andprovided with solid hearings in front of the coupling-pin, sub- 0stantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this21st day of June, 1881.

F. W. JONES. Witnesses:

GEO. S. PRINDLE, HENRY O. HAZARD.

